Lead No Shelter
Lead No Shelter is an upcoming plotline featuring Luke Jones that takes place shortly after the events of Insurgency. This will be the second plotline to feature Hunter, after the first plotline, titled 'Better To Sleep', which featured Luke Jones investigating and destroying the life of a perverted photographer. The plotline has been in the works for months and will tell the story of what happened the night Luke decided to leave his life and become Hunter, after being disowned by his father. As well as this, it will investigate many other themes, not only about Luke, but many others. However, it may end with the death of Luke Jones in both a literal sense, seeing him become the ultimate person he can be, but also seeing it short-lived. Synopsis In a tense after story of 'Insurgency', a daring adventure from a new force, The Ashes coming to reap the city of Heartania from Insurgency's aftermath, sees Luke fighting, not only for his life, but for the lives of others. An all too brief reprieve in the outskirts of Heartania is soon shattered; The Ashes don't forgive and don't forget. With memories of all that he's lost bleeding ever further into Luke's blurred reality, his world is becoming increasingly broken and dangerous just at the point when he'll need all of his skills and the ability to do whatever it takes, not only to survive but to lead. Hunter Luke is a much different person in the plotline, suffering from self loathing and a whole host of other mental tribulations after the events of Insurgency. His attire changes, becoming much more lighter (wearing a white shirt, light brown cargo pants, a brown leather holster for his pistol, a belt, black leather fingerless gloves, and dark brown boots, his scarf still around his neck). On his back he hosts his retractable katana, and a new addition to his arsenal known as the Lupine Shield (a shield which is also somewhat retractable, being able to expand somewhat and sport sharp edges, it is able to be thrown and brought back to the thrower, it is black with a white wolf crest on it). Luke's bow and dagger are gone. In this, Luke seems somewhat more of a realist, neither giving into their desire for a cynical perception on the state of their life and the events going on around him but also resisting the desire for an optimistic outlook in order to keep grief at bay. However, soon Luke has to face his inner demons as he learns to rely on something more than just his powers (due to the absence of both his hacking and water manipulation abilities). The Outsiders The plotline introduces a new faction simply known as 'The Outsiders', described as a band out of outcasts, The Outsiders focus on performing heroic acts when they can but seeing themselves as separate from society, this is due to the belief that they believe superhumans cannot be contained within a human society as they are too dangerous and contrasting with the status quo. Luke comes across and joins 'The Outsiders' temporarily as a way to get away from the city of Heartania and focus on his recovery. Smoke Named after his smoking habit (used to alleviate the symptoms of his powers) and the smoke that typically comes out of guns, Smoke is the leader of the Outsiders believing that the best way was to let superhumans have the option to live away from humans and avoid conflict, as well as death and destruction. This has worked well for the couple of years that they have found themselves at Oberon. He set the place up. His power includes summoning two dual wield semi-automatic handguns, powerful shots that he can trigger to be incendiary, shock, or venomous. As well as this, he can teleport in quick successions, disappearing into a shroud of smoke before appearing wherever he wishes, his radius for teleportation only growing with how hard he's practised his powers. Smoke deals with a lot of issue, mainly PTSD from surviving on the streets and having to deal with being around numerous shocking events that arise due to superhuman conflicts. He himself denied his powers for years before he became a hero and shortly after left to set his own path in life. He doesn't deal too much with his past, which is shrouded in smoke and mystery. He loves the people he is around though and will do anything to protect them. Hawk Native American born, Hawk is a wise-cracking optimist who is never in a serious mood. Always cracking and making jokes, as well as doing pranks, he tries to alleviate the mood in Oberon only to deal with his own depression, something that no one else, not even Smoke, realizes. He is asexual, never finding the need for sex or romance and always preferring to just live his life and be happy. He is relaxed, charming, witty and laid back, all wrapped into one annoying asshole, according to many. There are several instances where he does take things seriously or he does get angry much to the fear of others who aren't used to seeing him this way. Hawk traditionally sticks to using his two tomahawks as his weapon, being able to trigger his super speed which enables him to be just that much faster than others and gives him an advantage in combat. As he is of Native American descent, he tends to be more dark-skinned and has light brown hair which is styled and tied back as dreadlocks. He has a love for Sail's optimism and the two tend to go sailing together and confide in one another greatly, though they only share a platonic relationship. He's a large domineering man, with eyes so dark they're almost black. Bolt Bolt is a unique girl, a thin tall African woman with her hair stylized as a large afro. Growing up in a Southern African village, she and her family did well enough for themselves to get by. Her main love was with archery, akin to how her father loved fencing and her mother loved netball, their family seemed to be one defined by their interests. However, Bolt didn't favour the bow, much rather she had an infatuation for crossbows and was very good. It was only when she was in her early teens did she discover her power, the ability to summon up and use her very own specialized crossbow, she simply called 'Recurve', which glowed a dark purple, had its own modern scope and feel. Bolt suddenly found herself plunged into a world of superheroism, especially when her ability was discovered by local kids leading to her to join a team of young superheroes, The Jades, who were excited and optimistic for the superhero world. However after they were wiped off the map by villains, Bolt decided to grow up and pursue their life as a normal person before moving to Heartania where they reconnected with their superhero spirit. Now more of a realist, Bolt wants to protect everything she has, hoping that The Outsiders aren't a repeat of what happened to other superheroes she grew up with. She can use all kinds of different bolts with Recurve. She's a thin tall African woman with her hair stylized as a large afro. Echo A caucasian girl from Australia with dyed red and blue hair finessed into a gradient colour, Echo is one wild card that's not to mess with. Her love for partying alongside her more introvert nature where she longs for tea and a good book causes some people to be confused as to what she truly desires. In the end, Echo doesn't seem to know either, she simply helps people because that's what she likes to do. Her powers come with their own weakness which she has turned into a strength. She is able to summon an infinite amount of daggers and throwing knives, using these to disable and attack her opponents. However at the same time, her vision is replaced, her eyes change as she becomes known to what she calls 'Echo-Sense' where she is able to see humans and the environment around her in a thermal vision of sorts and identify the anatomy of a human, seeing their skeleton and organs at work, giving her a better idea of where to pinpoint her knives and daggers. One of the repercussions for this power is she lost her eye during a harsh battle when using it, in an attack on the Outsiders. She now wears a bandage over one eye. Echo nonetheless loves this ability and is proud of her powers but inside she is a very intimate soul. She used to work as a hotel manager in Australia, playing the perfect role of a good girl for her mother and father, hiding her powers and instead leaving them to be used as a superhero iconic figure in Sydney. When her mother and father found out and asked her to stop, for her safety, she decided to leave and seek a new life in Heartania, where she met the Outsiders. Sail Echo's younger half-brother Sail took after her older sister but was just a blonde rich kid growing up in a different family. Still, Sail loved his half-sister and really connected with her, almost inspired by her pursuit for happiness and excitement especially when it came to her powers. Sail acquired his name after his love for sailing in which he too found his own powers, managing to control the wind and the water to orchestrate the best sailing. He followed his sister years later in establishing the superhero persona and upon discovery of other heroes, decided to find her sister, in which she found her with The Outsiders and decided to live with her. He is bisexual (though this is only implied) and prefers living in a type of rich tapestry when concerning his life but has an appreciation for the simpler things, finding them more calming for his anxiety. He loves wearing blue, and finds himself subconsiously wearing blue sweaters a lot, especially in the winter. His anxieties and somewhat nervous demeanor at times is usually calmed down by his best friend Hawk. Sail has blue eyes, blonde hair and is somewhat short. Scope Transgender male sniper with a very excellent aim. His power is to summon any type of long range rifle whether it be a hunting rifle or an assault rifle. However, they prefer a sniper. Growing up in rural Texas, he was cared for by a strong mother who used to be a hitwoman before she settled down. He has blonde hair, though their father was ginger and only their mother was blonde. Scope eventually returned to a burned down home after hitmen caught up with his mother and he decided to put his skillset to good use becoming a hitman of his own, before he decided that, he didn't want to lead a life looking over his shoulder like his mother and thus settled down with the Outsiders. His favourite part about being a hitman was the travelling. He ties his hair back and wears a short army cap from his grandfather. He tends to be very friendly, simply trying their best to raise morale and make themselves seem useful. They haven't been able to teach anyone any good hunting skills, but he is an excellent cook. Cyber Cyber is a cyborg who lost half his body in a freak accident and was thankfully restored with cybernetic powers in the hopes to be used as a military weapon. After a moral epihany he decided to help society with his technology and use his hacking prowess for good. He can also control technology through some form of telekinesis for physical altercations. He speaks in a robotic voice and has a hand which casts holographs which he can use to cast emojis. They have black hair and is Asian-Japanese. Cyber doesn't remember much about their life beforehand, other than they get the idea that he loved his mother very much and that they were a very good student who lived in rural Japan, near a city of some sort. It was when they had finally moved to America, the accident took place and they found themselves becoming a cyborg, Cyber, against their will, even if it saved his life. Cyber tends to rely on Echo for emotional help and guidance. He covers his face with a cybernetic mask. He thinks of himself as a monster and suffers from self-loathing. He prefers to be referred to as a male, rather than they/them. The Ashes 'Lead No Shelter' also introduces another new faction, simply known as 'The Ashes' that act as the antagonistic force during the plotline. A group of bounty hunter, gunslingers, ganglords and mercenaries, some of the most deadly in the world all under one banner, they have a colour scheme of black and orange. They have various different powers, most of them similar but in different ways. Many of them can teleport through short distances by becoming ash and scattering amongst the wind, using this to move quickly and even dodge attacks in some instances, before having to turn back (staying in this form for too long can cause them to be stuck permanently). They can also turn people into ash simply by holding them, the longer they hold, the more the body disintegrates into ash. The more of them that hold a person, the faster that person becomes ash. Many of them can seem to have the ability to manipulate fire also. They usually are wearing leather gloves, this prevents them from actually turning many things to ash (a curse or a blessing which they simply have to live with). Fang A member of The Ashes who wears a necklace with different teeth on it. He takes one tooth per victim almost ready to make a full-set. He joined The Ashes as a way to care for his family who were doing poorly after the father lost his job and became a deadbeat due to his alcoholism. He, himself, indulges in alcohol, specifically flavoured vodka. He loves to turn people into ash, finding it his favourite way of murdering people as well as indulging in the idea of conquest, to take over other people and what they own. He is a middle-aged man, grey short hair and a beard, and tall with a muscular physique. Dust Female member of The Ashes who specializes in using a poisoned knife in her skillset, though loves to use her dual pistols. She joined the Ashes after having to resort to prostitution in order to pay for her rent. She wanted a way out and she found it. She only has one arm, she lost one in a freak accident involving an attack on one of their outposts in Hawaii. She is deadly, if she holds someone for too long they will wither, their skin will burn whilst being turned into ash, she notices her hand is made of coal, a cooler form of lava instead of blood running through it. She wears a leather glove to prevent this and she murdered her father, the only person who loved her, when hugging him, as a young child, this was how she first discovered her powers. The Dragon Also simply known as Xiang, he is the leader of The Ashes and has come to personally investigate matters. He is a Japanese military veteran though much harsher and sees something in Luke, even offering them a way to get off scot-free if Luke joins The Ashes. He is ruthless however and will always try to seek out the more violent option as a way of establishing dominance, even if that means doing so against his own people. He prompted his own son, however, to go to war and lost them, thus enabling their self-destructive and risky habits that are akin to PTSD. Nonetheless, he hides his flaws well and is ruthless to burn down anybody who gets in his way. His thirst for power is simply his strong desire to create a 'safe space' for his mind away from society due to his PTSD. Gale Simply known as Gale or 'The Runaway', as Hawk refers him as upon first encountering him, he is a young teenage runaway (being the age of sixteen) who wanted to escape The Ashes after being taken hostage during the downfall of The Cobras, a gang he joined earlier as a way of seeking a new lifestyle and hoping that he would gain a reputation that would make him both respected and feared in the community. However, that doesn't work out too well for him causing him to run away and seek help. He takes on a younger brotherly role to Luke and the two become close, he is also aided with his own suicidal ideation after losing his family. Chapters Chapter One: Nothing Left Chapter Two: Upon Broken Tides Chapter Three: The Runaway Chapter Four: Drown Chapter Five: Ashes to Ashes Chapter Six: In Harm's Way Chapter Seven: Untamed Embers Chapter Eight: Blood On The Skyline Chapter Nine: Only Closer To Death Chapter Ten: Home Sweet Home Chapter Eleven: Gale Chapter Twelve: Sweet Sister Of Mine Chapter Thirteeen: Peakaboo Chapter Fourteen: Fang Chapter Fifteen: An Eye For An Eye Chapter Sixteen: A Lack Of Plan Chapter Seventeen: What We Deserve Chapter Eighteen: A Hunter Baptised In Ashes Chapter Nineteen: Coda Soundtrack Lead No Shelter is the second plotline to feature its own soundtrack (usually referred simply as a soundtrack, rather than an original soundtrack, as the songs have many different respective creators and owners), the first being Insurgency. * Main Theme * Hunter * The Ashes * Survivors * Oberon * Fire * Blood On The Skyline * Frozen Ice * Regret * Death Trailer(s) The first trailer was a teaser trailer, hinting at the protagonist of Lead No Shelter (Luke), by showcasing a katana (implying it may be Lilly, however, later on, Luke gains his own katana). The katana that is featured within the teaser is not necessarily, an exact image of Luke's own. The words, "What am I gonna do love?" which play at the end represent the helplessness and reliance on a certain character, which leads Luke into the events of Lead No Shelter. The second trailer is more detailed, showcasing the city of Heartania being somewhat getting farther and farther apart, including the city being seen from the view of a boat surrounded by water. As well as this, it shows a hostage situation, a car chase and other characters that are with Luke. It can't be said as to what exactly is going on (in order to avoid spoilers), but it does show a variety of events that will be happening in Lead No Shelter, especially early on. The third trailer shows more of Luke and the other characters who are presumed to be involved within this arc. The voice that is speaking throughout the trailer is said to be Lilly. She warns Luke that the group he is with "is cracking" and that Luke cannot "let it eat away at you" (it being undefined but presumably something connected to her death or another traumatic event if this voice is from a flashback, it is possible Lilly is referring to The Disowned). However, foreshadowing for Luke's death is involved when the voice of Lilly warns that "sooner of later everyone's luck runs out...clock's ticking". Trivia * If you're looking for paragraphs worth of trivia, then you're on the wrong wiki page (cue paragraphs worth of trivia) * Aside from other PC's, Luke is rarely ever called or refers to himself as 'Hunter', whereas this won't be the case in Lead No Shelter. * Hawk is the first Native American character to be introduced in Villainy and Virtue, the same with Scope being the first transgender character. The identities of these characters do have meaning behind them however, that relates to both Luke and the situation in Lead No Shelter which is to be explored.